When Jamie found this lovely mid-century modern dresser at a Salvation Army store fo only $50, she knew she'd hit the jackpot. Though she didn't love the yellowing tone of the piece, and the finish was in bad shape (especially on the top), the lines and solid construction made it a great choice for an update.
Jamie used Citristrip to remove the old finish, coating the entire dresser then leaving it to sit overnight. After scraping off the peeling finish, she washed down the piece to remove any sticky residue, then lightly sanded with both 100 grit and 220 grit sandpaper. When Jamie saw the lovely lines of the wood grain revealed, she knew that her decision to refinish the dresser was the right one. She used a dark walnut stain to refinish the piece, then sealed it with a satin polyurethane. The final result is a beautiful dresser that has taken pride of place in Jamie's master bedroom.
See More: The Creative Imperative: Refinished Mid Century Modern Dresser/Credenza
(Image: Jamie/The Creative Imperative)
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Gorgeous! And here I was cringing to see what color it had been spray-painted!
perfection. (and what Ikla said)
Lovely, lovely. I would have used a lighter stain, but that's why they make stains in many colors! 8-)
agreed! Ikia and franzmendoza said it all!
Agree with above comment
Thank goodness it didn't get painted.
Agree with all comments above !
I applaud the refinishing -- it is a fun piece and well worth saving. Great job!
That said, I cannot warm to that dark walnut stain; the original stain, albeit yellowed, is far more attractive and authentic.
I have a few mid century dressers in quite a dark walnut. Actually, almost an opaque walnut. This stain is nicer than my originals' finish.
Yes! Beautiful refinishing job - thanks for shelving the spray paint - congratulations!
I've seen a lot of mid century furniture in different finishes, including walnut, so this isn't exactly inauthentic. If it helps, think of it as closer to being a rosewood finish.
Beautiful!
that is perfect. nice job!
Looks fantastic!
I am actually old enough to have a real mid century mid-century bedroom set and all the pieces are dark walnut. We also bought dark walnut living room tables. I still have the side table but no longer do I have the coffee table. Oh, what I have given away over the years!
Stunning! That came out so beautiful, the finish is perfection.
Beautiful job. Like others, I prefer the reddish cast of the original stain, but the important thing is that you saved this lovely dresser and preserved it for years to come. Well done!
Mid-C Frank approves. In fact, Mid-C Frank wants this dresser!!!
As someone who just finished a much smaller strip and stain project I'd like to give you a big round of applause, that looks great!! I can't imagine how long that took to finish!
Also, agree with some other commenters that medium walnut stain (as shown here) IS in fact very authentic for MCM furniture. I have a beautiful dining set in original condition in that very shade. Amazing that some people think everything was blonde back then.
Beautiful.
I have to admit - I was also cringing prior to making the jump to the after photo. I have seen some horrid spray-painted MCM renovations in blue, or two-toned and I didn't have the heart to see what you may have done to yours. But after seeing the results of your fine work - i applaud you and your good taste. Simply gorgeous!
Excellent job.
Serious wow! It's beautiful. As so many others have already stated, I was dreading seeing the after shot in case it had been altered beyond repair but you maintained the physical integrity of the piece and merely cleaned it up and refinished.
Chiming in with everyone else about how beautifully done this is.
I am so envious of your amazing find and what an awesome job you did! There's a blogger from Phoenix, whom shall remain nameless, that has the most amazing luck when it comes to finding MCM furniture. However, then she paints AND DISTRESSES said pieces of furniture. It really does make me ill to see what she does to them.
I was TERRIFIED to see the 'after' but was pleasantly surprised. good job!
Beautiful job! Love that it wasn't painted.
Wow, what a find! Kudos on a job well done.
I love it!
Love this and much prefer the new finish. I love MCM pieces like this, but I don't love that orange tone many of them have. I did something similar with a pair of night stands, but without the Citristrip. I just sanded of the old finish and then stained them, and I love that I got rid of the really orange tone.
I paid $250 for something similar. It's in perfect condition but you got a great deal.
I'm all for painting furniture if you want to but even I was holding my breath, afraid that this had been painted. Perfect.
Beautiful!! How much do you want for it? ;)
Very nice & also was expecting the worse. Take note shabby chic'ers.
Beautiful.............nothing beats a little elbow grease!!
Couldn't have imagined it any more perfect. Love the piece. Love the color!
Nice job.
Wow Jaime, you did an amazing job! This is just beautiful!
I figured it'd be okay, since the headline was "restoring" and not the dreaded "update." This looks fantastic, I have a lane surfboard coffee table and 2 Jens Risom-inspired chairs that need to restored but have been nervous. And I'm going to have to agree with the others, I've seen and have MCM pieces that are also that walnut color in the second pic. Also, take into account that there are a number of differences in each photo (lighting, angle) which could make the colors seem much more different than they actually are.
And lastly, @Head Smacker, I need to know who this blogger is!!!
Really nice job. That is a classic dresser. And a fantastic restoration. That is a piece I would be PROUD to own. I have an EXCELLENT mid-century modern piece in the original stain of dark walnut. It looks great! http://www.midcenturymodernremodel.com/2012/06/fun-furniture-find-john-stuart-armoire.html
nice job.
Beyond amazed by what can be found at a Salvation Army! Love that this was properly preserved. Such a great piece that you will have for a lifetime.
I'm sorry, but to me the finished piece still looks like something found at the Salvation Army. I have a similar dresser made with cherry wood. Putting such a dark stain on it would make it look awful. I was hoping for something a bit more creative and dramatic so I could get ideas for the re-do of my dresser.
well, I think it looks beautiful. I love the walnut stain... I think it brings out the grain and the relief of the design much better than the original finish. You did a spectacular job. It looks BEAUTIFUL!
Ooooooooooh, the finished product has me swooning!!!